10 Years In Asia (Full Circle Playlist)

Apple Music

日本 2005
「TABOO • ONE • SEXY GIRL • THANK YOU • OK • 声を聞かせて • LOLLIPOP • ガラガラGO • BLACK DIAMOND • [PROMISE](null) • [久遠の河](null) 」

Before fifteen years old, I had never really known anything outside my sheltered life in Newfoundland. Having been closeted all during secondary almost up to the last year of high school, I spent a lot of time keeping to myself. At that time, mental health was not talked about the way it is now. My grades slipped, and I withdrew away from academics, all except for Music and performing arts classes

In Junior High, I auditioned for and was accepted into [Mount Pearl Show Choir](null), which became an escape away from thе constant bullying from classmates. Even beforе I had joined, the choir had been planning for the Threnody Peace Education Tour.The two-week-long trip to Japan would include performances at Expo Japan, Tokyo Disney, and most importantly, the performance of Threnody to Japanese survivors of the atomic bombing

Threnody is a composition without words yet still with haunting vocalizations. At 14, it was hard, even after constant daily rehearsals for weeks and months, to truly understand or prepare for the forthcoming experience and how it would change me as a person.

Before finishing up my last year of high school, I saw an ad in one of the travel magazines I had picked up at that time; I was amassing quite a collection of Japanese novels, photo books, and of course, music. The advertisement was for a Working Holiday program and the associated visa that Canadians could apply for with the help of SWAP, a non-profit organization created in 1975 to promote cultural exchange programs for Canadians across the globe. They had an office at Memorial University, which soon after I visited to learn more about what was required. At the time, I had been working at Mcdonald’s during Senior High and quickly decided to pocket my paycheques and apply for the program.

日本 2008
「DO ME MORE • The Meaning Of Us • ONE • [CHANGE MYSELF](null) • 」

Nine months after, I was saying goodbye to my family and friends and catching a flight from Newfoundland to Toronto, and then onward to Tokyo. Honestly, from the moment we touched down in Tokyo, and I got out of the airport, it was over. It felt like a fresh start; everything was new, different, and exciting. My fashion sense at the time was incredibly cringe tho, not that I have to mention, haha.

As for work, I initially moved with a few pocket funds prior, so I had a little time to situate myself before looking for employment. I wasn't at that time planning on completing any education in Japan, so I sought out occasional teaching jobs; I worked part-time in the now-closed Gaspanic bar in the basement next to the popular Shibuya Tsutaya branch, an upscale restaurant located in Omotesando until it became harder and harder to find more jobs. As is the case anywhere, networking became a pretty helpful tool; it was in some Shinjuku bar in 二丁目 where I met a couple of friends, two of which had just accepted positions in Nakano's snow-sport hotspot, Hakuba at Sierra Resorts.

At first hand, I was initially very apprehensive about entertaining the idea of working in Hakuba, as my whole obsession was with Tokyo and living in Tokyo. Still, as my financial situation got worse, I accepted the offer and booked Shinkansen and rail tickets to Hakuba station, where they would pick me up. Please bear in mind that there weren't Google Maps; there were cell phones, but I didn't move to Japan with fluency, so my first job interview, I had printed a map from the Kobini and asked locals to help me locate the business.

日本 2009
「GET MYSELF BACK • どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう • DELETE MY MEMORIES • GO AWAY」

If, at first, you don't succeed, try again. Seriously tho, this has always been my philosophy throughout life. Things don't always go according to plan, and you might not always have things go the way you want the first time. Coming back from Japan for those six months was honestly really hard on me, and at the moment I returned home, I thought I was staying home for life. But as soon as I was back, I continued my studies and was determined to figure out how I would return. One thing led to another, and I ended up applying for a two-year intensive Japanese Language Programme at the now-closed Hiroo Japanese Language Center. The program would issue a two-year-long student visa, which enabled part-time work and required students to progress to a JLPT level two minimum within those two years.

It was a few weeks following the massive Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 and the resulting Tsunami and Fukushima disaster that I returned home to Canada.

香港
「喜歡你 by G.E.M」

Hong Kong was always the pass-through. Whether it be for a few days, hours, or weeks tho, I’ve been stamped into HK somewhere around 30-40 times in two years. At first, I was into the touristy stuff while waiting for Visa applications to be processed, but then found other ways to take in the city. I’ve been there for the Umbrella Revolution era with my mother at that time as the streets were occupied, and you’ll always find me at the breakfast shop in the morning grabbing HK French Toast and Iced Tea; nothing can match this.

台灣
「Where Will You Go • 填空 • 多遠都要在一起 • Sorry Not Sorry • 醒了 • 我沒那麼愛你 •Suffering • 不該不該 • Sober 」

中國深圳和松岡
After the ultimatum, being still the pushover that I was up until my mid-twenties, I applied to continue language school at Shenzhen University. In contrast, my ex continued work at the factory based out of Shenzhen in Songgong District. Relocating to a decent apartment took a while. For two months, we stayed in the employee dorms on the factory, where I got to experience first-hand how hard Chinese workers who work in these types of companies as blue-collar workers have to work for unfair pay.

加拿大
「THIS AIN’T IT • OFF YOU • WASTE IT ON ME • 」

So I’m currently back in Canada, based out of Vancouver, and finishing up with post-secondary. After this, I hope that the Journalism/Asian Studies combo will work out to my advantage. It’s always been my plan to go back; it was just a matter of time. As far as what exactly the future holds, no one knows that. That being said, I’m excited about having my parents and my sister visit Japan for a couple of weeks once I’m back and situated. That’s been my dream since the first year I lived in Japan by myself.

My B. A was accelerated because I was placed near the end of the Japanese program, even after many years since graduating. Language may get rusty, but it always has this way of finding its way back to you.

I call this full playlist circle, not because I find myself back in Canada and back to Canadian life at this point, but the divorce and those years were hard on me. I wasted a lot of time, or so I thought. The whole thing was an opportunity to realize I could lean on myself, and I could get through things that at the time seemed impossible. Some of this may be cringe to some of you, but my message is clear. Life itself is an experience, and there is no end while you’re still living. One door may close, yet the other will open. The point is to arrive at a point where you can release this process is always the same, and ultimately it’s up to you to decide how long you are willing to wait, waste time, and fight against what’s needed for you to slip in that next door.